Tag: dance major

Ailey/Fordham BFA students. Photo by Nir Arieli, Courtesy The Ailey School.

The Ailey/Fordham Dance BFA Turns 25

The story took flight with a chance encounter at the 60th Street post office in Manhattan. It was the mid-’90s and Denise Jefferson, then head of The Ailey School, and Edward Bristow, then dean of Fordham College at Lincoln Center, would often bump into each other in the neighborhood. At that point, both schools were […]

The Truth About Grades as a Dance Major

You may know what it means to earn a silver, gold, or platinum award for your performance—but probably not an A, B, or C grade. Often, dancers don’t encounter the idea of grading in dance until they enter collegiate dance programs. When you’re evaluating an inherently subjective art form, what distinguishes an A student from […]

This TikTok Duet Perfectly Sums Up the Struggle of Virtual Classes as a Dance Major

It’s a scenario that only 2020 could create. Butler University student and popular TikTok user Chinyelu Mwaafrika (@chinforshort) posted this TikTok narrating his struggles of living under a “pod of dance majors” shortly after Butler University announced that all classes would be held virtually for the first two weeks of the semester. Ballet TikToker and […]

How to Prep for Your Freshman Year as a Dance Major

We grilled a dance professor and a rising sophomore for their best tips on how to make the most of freshman year—starting on day 1. Get Your Head—and Body—In the Game According to Michelle Nance, director of dance at Texas State University in San Marcos, TX, the challenges incoming dance majors struggle with most can […]

A Week in the Life of a Dance Major

Making future college plans can seem daunting. What is life as a dance major really going to be like? Catie Robinson, a sophomore at California State University, Fullerton, gave us an inside peek at her life on campus. Originally from Round Rock, TX, Robinson trained in a variety of styles growing up, including ballet, jazz, […]

Majoring in Dance? Here's How to Choose Your Concentration

So you want to be a dance major? Wonderful! But in college, your choices don’t end there. Pedagogy, kinesiology, arts management: What can those different tracks help you with? Choosing a college concentration that opens up multiple career options is a smart move, setting you up for not only an exciting performance career, but also […]

How to Deal With Injuries as a College Dance Major

Getting injured during college doesn’t have to ruin your semester. DS asked a professor, a certified athletic trainer, and a student who’s overcome injury how you can deal. Lauren McIntyre, ATC, certified athletic trainer for The Conservatory of Dance at SUNY Purchase through the Harkness Center for Dance Injuries at NYU Langone Health “Injuries happen […]